Budgets/Spending/Market Size

New York -- Gap Inc. said Thursday that its February same-store sales rose a better-than-expected 3% for the four weeks ended Feb. 25. Analysts expected a 2% increase.
   
The chain was due to release the sales figures after the market closed, but put them out at midday after they were found in a leaked transcript of prerecorded comments.

By division, same-store sales rose 2% at Gap and 6% at Old Navy. They fell 5% at Banana Republic.

Total U.S. Shopper Traffic in Retail Stores and Malls for February 2013

An unexpected decrease in shopper traffic around Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day led to an overall slower retail performance for the month of February.

Retail foot traffic for February decreased 5.4% compared with January 2013, departing from the positive year-over-year retail traffic trends seen in recent months. Foot traffic for February 2013 decreased 6.4% compared with the same month last year. 

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation said that spending for St. Patrick’s Day is expected to grow to $4.7 billion, as celebrants invest an average of $35.27 on green attire, St. Patrick’s Day décor and holiday food and drink.

According to NRF’s St. Patrick’s Day Spending Survey conducted by BIGinsight, 84.2% of consumers will celebrate by wearing green. An additional 23.3% will decorate their home or office, and 34.6% will make a special dinner.

Columbus, Ohio -- Big Lots reported Wednesday that net income for the fourth quarter rose to $120.3 million, from $114.7 million in the year-ago period. Sales in the U.S. increased 4.4% to $1.7 billion from $1.6 billion, and domestic same-store sales dipped 3.5%.

For the full year, income from continuing operations dropped to $177.2 million, from $207.2 million in the prior fiscal year. This year’s results included $3.4 million in charges related to new inventory system implementation.

New York -- A report released Monday by Ipsos found that affluent optimism in the U.S. economy rose significantly in February.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix on Friday recorded fiscal 2012 sales of $27.5 billion, up 1.9%. However, 2012 year-end sales included a 52-week period, versus 2011 year-end sales that were tracked over a 53-week period. Excluding that extra week, sales for 2012 would have been up by 3.8%. Same-store sales were up 2.2% for the year. 

Menomonee Falls, Wis. -- Kohl's Corp. reported a lower fourth quarter profit on Thursday, hurt by markdowns during the holiday season. The loss was lower than Wall Street had expected. The retailer also forecast full-year earnings that fell short of analysts’ forecasts.
 
Kohl's said its net income fell to $378 million for the quarter ended Feb.2, from $455 million a year earlier. (The retail calendar for fiscal January 2013 included a fifth week, resulting in a 14-week fiscal fourth quarter and a 53-week year.)

Columbus, Ohio -- Limited Brands Inc. said that its fourth quarter net income in the 14-week period through Feb. 2, 2013, rose a better-than expected 14% to $411.4 million. That compares to a 13-week period that ended on Jan. 28, 2012, in which net income came to $359.4 million. The chain also forecast profit for the current quarter and fiscal year below analysts' expectations.